Really enjoyed listening to this. Georgette Heyer, Regency set novels at their best. ( )

Another Heyer gem
With her high-spirited intelligence and good looks, Abigail Wendover was a most sought-after young woman. But of all her high-placed suitors, there was none Abigail could love. Abigail was kept busy when her pretty and naive niece Fanny falls head over heels in love with Stacy Calverleigh, a good-looking town-beau of shocking reputation and an acknowledged seductor. She was determined to prevent her high-spirited niece from being gulled into a clandestine marriage with handsome Stacy, a plausible fortune-hunter. The arrival to Bath of Stacy's uncle seemed to indicate an ally, but Miles Calverleigh is the black sheep of the family.

Miles Calverleigh had no regard for the polite conventions of Regency society. His cynicism, his morals, his manners appalled Abigail. But he turns out to be her most important ally in keeping her niece out of trouble. He also turned out to be the most provoking creature Abigail had ever met - with a disconcerting ability to throw her into giggles at quite the wrong moment. Yet she was irresistibly drawn to his knowing smile. But how could she persuade her wealthy, respectable family to accept this unconventional, unsuitable man?

I think Miles is my favourite Heyer hero ( )

I found Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer to be another delightful addition to my long lists of favorites by this author. The main characters Abigail Wendover and Miles Caverleigh are a little older than many of her romantic couples and I enjoyed this touch of maturity. Although Abigail is only twenty-eight, she and her elder sister, Selina, are considered to be “old maid” aunts and have been raising their niece, Fanny, since she was two years old.

Unfortunately when Abigail returns from a visit to relatives, she is met with the news that Fanny is being courted by a young man called Stacy Caverleigh, who many believe to be a fortune hunter and not quite the gentleman that he pretends to be. She tries to meet with Stacy and steer him away from her underage niece, but in a humorous case of mistaken identity, the man she accosts is actually his uncle, Miles Caverleigh, recently returned from India.

Black Sheep, like many of her novels has a fun plot and plenty of humor. Heyer’s witty style of dialogue is showcased and made the characters come alive on the pages. Miles Caverleigh quickly became one of my favorite male leads and the closing pages of the book, which surprised me, was a perfect ending. ( )

An amusing diversionary read, where the end result is almost immediately obvious but the route to get there provides much entertainment. ( )

Surprisingly, I found Abby to be one of my favorite Heyer protagonists, particularly her concern with doing the right thing by her sister and her niece while trading snappy repartee with the nonchalant hero.

I'm getting a little burnt out on Heyer novels, but this one is probably one of the top three that I've read thus far. ( )